Stone picker



E. C. CLARK.

STONE PICKER,

APPLICATION FILED car. 4. 1921.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

13M i fformfy E. g. CLARK. STONE PICKER. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4, (921.

Patented. Aug. 8, 1922.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. C CLARK STONE PICKER.

APPLICATION FILED OCLAJ 19 21.

1 A25 7g Patented. Aug. 8, 1922.

$SHFETS--SHEET 3.

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EUGENE i). CLARK, 0F

OSVVEGO, NEW YORK.

S'EQGNE PICKER.

ilgl'fitifitfi.

Application filed October 4.,

usetul Improvements in Stone Pickers, of

which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a "lull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a stone-picker adapted to be propelled by animal or other motive power and involves the use of a main supporting frame mounted upon suitable front and rear wheels in combination with a rotary pick-op drum and an endless conveyer, both mounted upon a supplemental vertical movable frame and adapted to be driven from the rear wheels the machine isvmov/ed along the surface of the ground.

The main object is to provide simple and etlicient means for automatically picking up stones from the surface of the fields and corn veying them to a suitable receptacle on the machine as the latter is propelled forwardly.

Another object is to enable the pick-up drum to be raised and lowered at will to vary the depth of penetration oi the pick-up fingers into the ground when the drum is adjusted for use and also to permit said drum to be elevated above the surface of the ground when the machine is in transit from one place to another, as'ior example, to the place of discharge of the load and return therefrom.

A further object is to provide means whereby the pick-up fingers may yield when contacting with objects which might tend to overstra in or break the fingers or other parts 01 the machine.

A still further object is to providenneans for oscillating alternate circumferential rows of fingers as they are' successively presented to their dischargepositions to tree the stones therefrom.

A further object is to provide the drum with oscillating fenders and means for operating the same for the purpose of deflect ing the pick-up stones from the fingers at the point of discharge therefrom.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the machine will be brought out in the following description:

in the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are, respectively, a top plan and a side elevation of a stone-pickereinbodying the various features of my invention.

flpecification of Letters Patent. llgjtqgggtgfll A g, 8, 1%22 1921. Serial No.

Fig. 3. is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same machine taken on line.

3--3, Fig. 1.

Fig; 4 is atransverse vertical sectional view taken on line 4%, Fig. 1.

Fig. is an enlarged inner end face View of one of the clutch connections between one of the wheels and the rear axle. i

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the clutch shown in Fig. 5 together with a portion of the ad acent wheel and a main frame.

Fig. 7 is an end view, partly in section andpartly broken away, of a portion of the pick-up drum showing one of the pickup fingers, several f the operating levers for the swinging fenders or gates and the stationary cams at one end for operating said levers, said cams being shown in section.

Fig.8 is adetail sectional view taken on line 8-8, Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the drum taken on line 99, Fig. 1, except that portions of the pick-up fingers and their respective supporting guides and supports are broken away. I

Fig. 10 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view. partly brhken away, of the pickup drum showing the stationary cams at the ends thereof for operating the several rock shafts for the swinging "Fenders and oscillating pick-up fingers.

This machine comprises a main'sup'porting frame 1- having a front steering axle -2' provided with supporting wheels 3-, a,'rear axle --lprovided with supporting wheels -5- and a supplemental fraJne -G- extending lengthwise of and between the side bars of the main frame l and having its rear end pivotally mounted upon the rear axle 4- and its front end provided with suitable bearings for receiving and supporting a rotary pickup drum 7, said supplemental frame serving also to receive and supportan end lessconveyer 8 for receiving the stones from the pick-u drum -7- and delivering them into a suitable receptacle 9 on the rear end of the machine.

' The drum 7 comprises opposite end heads l0- and 1l and a series of interniediate disks or partitions -,l2-, all of substantially the same diameter and mounted in axially spaced relation upon a central supporting shaft -'-13, which in turn is journaled upon the front end of the supple portionof the &

mental frame --6- for rotating the drum in a manner presently described, the peripheries of said end heads and disks being covered by a cylindrical band or housing --14- rigidly secured thereto in any well known manner not necessary to herein illustrate or describe to form a unitary part of the drum.

One of the end heads as -1land each of the partitions -19- is provided with a series of, in this instance, six protruding tubular guides --15-- arranged circumferentially around the axis of the drum in uniformly spaced relation for receiving the shanks of a corresponding number of pickup fingers 16- which are slidable endwise in their respective guides through openings -17- in the peripheral band --l land have their outer ends provided with book shaped extremities -18- projecting torwardly from the shanks in the direction of rotation for picking up stones from the ground as the drum is rotated.

The tubular guides -15 are secured to corresponding faces of their respective supporting members -11-- and -'12- by means of clamping plates -19- and are additionally held against endwise movement by clamping plates -20-- and brackets -21-, which are also secured to the same end faces of said supports.

That is, the brackets -2lform abut-- ments for the inner ends of the tubular guides 15 while the clamping plates --20 not only form abutments for the outer ends of the tubular guides but also serve to hold the pick-up fingers --1t1- against turning movement by engaging flattened portions --22-- thereof but with sufiicient clearance to allow the pick-up fingers to move endwise in the tubular guides --15-- fa ainst the action of com ression s rin s --23-, the latter being arranged Within the tubes between the inner end walls thereof and the inner end faces of the shanks of the pickup-fingers --l 6- as shown in Fig. 7.

If desired, the clamping bolts as -24- by which the plates -20 are secured to the members 11-- and 12* may be provided with rollers ---25- for engaging opposite faces of the shanks of the pick-up fingers 16-- and thereby permitting greater freedom of endWise movement without excessive friction.

Each pick-up finger l6-- is, therefore,

yieldingly held in its extreme outermost position by its compression spring ---23-- to enable it to yield inwardly in case it comes in contact with any obstruction not capable of being picked up thereby, the outward endwise displacement of said pick-up iin" gers being limited by stops as -26 at the inner ends of the flattened portions -293 adapted to engage the inner end oi cor responding clamping plates 98 1 ,e-es me These pick-up fingers -16-- are arranged in lengthwise rows parallel with the axis of the drum and, therefore, parallel with each other so that those of each row may act in unison along the same line on the ground 74; in facilitating the picking up of the loose stones, which may be encountered thereby during the rotation of the drum.

Each of the partitions or disks -li2-- is also providedwith an additional series oi fi ie, in this instance, six protruding tubular" guides "-27- arranged circumi'erenti'aily about the axis of the drum in uniformly spaced relation and preferably on the end faces of said disks opposite that to which the protruding guides --15-- are secured and directly opwsite the first named guides so as to lie in the same lengthwise planes orrows for receiving the shanks of a corre sponding number of pick-up fingers --28 similar to the fingers -l(i-- in rat they extend through openings '--1?-- in the pe ripheral band --14c" and terminate at their outer ends in hook-shaped extremities --29 projecting "forwardly in the direction of rotation of the drum, said fingers -28 being arranged in lengthwise rows corresponding to those in which the fingers ---l6- are located so as to act simultaneously therewith in picking up loose stones from the ground along the same line.

These tubular guides -27- are held in place upon the disks or partitions idby clamping plates -30- and brackets -3l-, the openings in the plates -3()- for receiving the tubular guides -27- be ing elongated transversely to permit lateral rocking movement of the tubular guides and fingers 28- carried thereby, the object of said lateral movement being permit the pick-up fingers -28- to tree the stones therefrom by lateral rocking agitation of the fingers. V

The shanks of the fingers -28-- are additionally held in place by clamping plates 1 --E20- similar to the plates --20-- in that they engage flattened portions -22-- on the shanks of said fingers to hold the letter against turning movement and also serve as abutments for the outer ends of the tubular guides -27 to prevent outward displacement of said tubes While the brackets -31 form abutments for the inner end of the tubular guides to prevent inward displacement thereof.

This lateral rocking movement of they uide tubes QT- and their corresponding ngers-28- is produced by rock-shafts -31, one for each lengthwise row of fingers extending lengthwise through and 'journale d in the cndwalls of the drum,and provided with radialarms -32--, one for each tubular guide ct the corresponding 1 row, each arm 39,- being operatively conv nected to the inner end of the tubular guide the by means of a link --33- so that as each shaft is rocked about its axis against the action of their retracting spring 34, it will cause a similar rocking movement of the tubular guide 27 and its pick-up fingers --28.

Each rock-shaft 3l--is caused to be operated during the downward movement of the corresponding pick-up fingers 28 or when the latter are in a position to discharge any stones which may have been picked up thereby and for this purpose, the outer end of each rock-shaft -31- is extended beyond the opposite end heads -l(l and 11 of the drum and provided. with crank arms 34. movable into engagement with cams -35- 011 the adjacent sides of the frame 6 when the pick-up fingers with the stones carried thereby assume their osition of discharge, thereby causing the fingers to free themselves from the stones by agitation thereof and allowing the freed stones to drop on to the conveyer -8--.

A deflecting plate 36 is fastened to the supplemental frame 6 to deflect the stones discharged by the drum on to the conveyer.

The peripheral band -1el is provided with a series of, in this instance, six movable sections 37, one for each row of pick-up fingers and each extending the entire length ofthe drum and adapted to swing outwardly from a concentric position directly under the discharge fingers to form deflecting plates to protect the underlying portions of the fingers against injury by the fallen stones from the dischargmg fingers and it, therefore, becomes necessary to open these gates or deflecting plates immediately preceding or about the time of the discharge of the stones from the tingers onto the conveyer.

For this purpose, I have provided a series of, in this instance, six rock-shafts 38-, one for each row of pick-up lingers, each of said rock-shafts being provided with a radially projecting crank-arm -39- connected by a link l(l to the corresponding gate -37-, whereby when the rockshaft -38 is rocked against the action of retracting springs 4=l.-, it will open the corresponding gate, the springs 41 serving to yieldingly hold the gates in their closed positions.

Each rock-shaft -38 is. extended entirely'through the drum and beyond the end walls thereof and has its outer ends provided with crank-arms {2-- adapted to engage cams 43- on the adjacent portions of the frame -45- to rock said shafts and thereby open the gates -3 7 as the several rows of pick-up fingers are brought to their discharge,positions by the rotation of the drum," it being understood that in one direction the cams -35- and 4;3- are constructed and positioned so as to release the parts operated thereby immediately preceding the discharge of the stones from the several rows of pick-up fingers on to the conveyer.

The rear axle 4 is journaled in suitable bearings on the frame -1 and is provided with clutch members -44 splined thereon for axial movement into and out of engagement with clutch memhers 45- on the wheels 5, which are loose on the shaft to permit the machine to be drawn forwardly or rearwardly without transmitting motion to the shaft -4 when the clutches -44 are disengaged from so said wheels, while on the other hand, when the clutches are engaged with the wheels, rotary motion will be transmitted to the shaft, the clutches being controlled by separate levers 46- and held in different positions of adjustment by catch levers l7 engaging suitable keepers 48- on the frame of the machine as shown in Fig. 4. a

Each clutch member 44- is provided with spring teeth 49 adapted to engage the clutch members -45 on the adjacent wheel andto permit the wheels to be rotated backward without disengaging the clutch therefrom. The means for transmitting motion from the shaft 4- to the drum --7 consists of gears 5() tight on the shaft 4 and meshing with companion cars 51 on a counter-shaft -52 which is journaled on the frame 1 and is provided with sprocket wheels -53 connected by side chains 54 to additional sprocket wheels -55 on the outer ends of the drum shaft 13, thereby rotating the drum backward or in the direction indicated by arrow -X-, Figures 3, 7 and 9.

The counter-shaft 5E2 is provided in termediate its ends with sprocket wheels f(5 in axially spaced relation and connected by the conveyer belt -8 to additional sprocket wheels -57 which are journaled on the supplemental frame (S in a horizontal plane below and in a vertical plane in front of the sprocket wheels 52- so that the upper side of the belt may travel upwardly and' rearwardly in an inclined plane to convey the stones, which may be deposited thereon to the receptacle 9, the conveyer belts being connected by cross bars 58 at suitable intervals for carry- 12o ing the stones upwardly and rearwardly to the place of discharge into said receptacle.

A suitable platform or fiat support -59- is carried by the hearings for the sprocket wheels -56 and 57 directly under the 12s upper side of the conveyer belt to support the same particularly when conveying the stones to the receptacle 9. Upright guard plates 60- are mounted upon the supplemental frame 6- at opposite sides of the conveyer belt to prevent lateral displacement of the stones from said belt in transit from the drum to the receptacle -9, which is suspended on the frame directly below the rear end of the conveyor by suitable hangers -61--.

Suitable means are provided for raising I and lowering the front end of the supple.-

' is journaled on the main supporting frame and is provided with a pair of reels G3- in axially spaced relation and connected by cables -64l to the front end of the supplemental frame 6 after passing over suitable sheaves 65 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said shaft 62- being provided with a worm gear -66 engaged by a worm shaft 67, which is also journalcd on the main frame land is provided with a handwheel -68 by which it may be rotated to operate the shaft -(32 and thereby to wind and unwind the cables 64*- for raising and lowering the front end of the supplemental frame (i, the worm serving to holdlthe shaft -6Q and parts operated thereby in any position of adjustment.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood upon the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and while the various mechanisms shown are particularly efficient in carrying out the objects stated, it is evident that they may be materially modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A stone-picker comprising a wheeled vehicle adapted to be drawn along and upon the surface of the ground, a rotary drum movable about an axis parallel with that of the Wheels, means actuated by the wheels for rotating the drum in a reverse direction to that of the Wheels, an endless conveyer at the rear of the drum and operated by a part of said means for receiving stones from the drum, a receptacle under-lying the rear end of the conveyer for receiving stones therefrom, and hook-shaped pick-up fingers projecting from the periphery of the drum in the direction of rotation thereof for picking up stones and depositing them on the conveyer, said pick-up fingers being 'arranged in rows lengthwise. of the drum and in circumferentially spaced relation, said drum having guard-plates hinged to swing inwardly and outwardly between the several rows of fingers, and means for causing said guard-plates to swing outwardly as the several rows of pick-up fingers are successively presented to their discharging posi tions.

2. In a mechanical stone-picker, the combination of a wheeled vehicle, a rotary drum thereon, a series of pick-up fingers mounted on the drum and arranged in lengthwise rows in circumferentially spaced relation, means for rotating the drum,cguard-plates hinged to the drum to swing inwardly and outwardly between the several rows of fingers, and means for causing the guardplates to swing outwardly as the several rows of fingers are. successively brought to a predetermined position.

3. In a mechanical stone-picker, the combination of a wheeled vehicle, a rotary drum mounted thereon, means actuated by .certain of the wheels of said vehicle for rotating the drum, pick-up fingers projecting from the periphery of the drum in the direction ofrotation thereof and arranged in rows lengthwise of the drum in circumferentially spaced relation, all of the fingers of each row being movable endwise on the drum, and alternate fingers of each row having an independent oscillatory motion in the direction of rotation.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of September 1921.

EUGENE C. CLARK.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. FARRELL, CHARLES N. BERGER, 

